part15-第12章

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vested　in　this　or　that　set　of　men。'　That　each　party　endeavors　to　get

into　the　administration　of　the　government；　and　exclude　the　other　from

power；　is　true；　and　may　be　stated　as　a　motive　of　action：　but　this　is

only　secondary；　the　primary　motive　being　a　real　and　radical

difference　of　political　principle。　　I　sincerely　wish　our　differences

were　but　personally　who　should　govern；　and　that　the　principles　of　our

constitution　were　those　of　both　parties。　　Unfortunately；　it　is

otherwise；　and　the　question　of　preference　between　monarchy　and

republicanism；　which　has　so　long　divided　mankind　elsewhere；　threatens

a　permanent　division　here。




　　　　　　　　Among　that　section　of　our　citizens　called　federalists；　there

are　three　shades　of　opinion。　　Distinguishing　between　the　_leaders_

and　_people_　who　compose　it；　the　_leaders_　consider　the　English

constitution　as　a　model　of　perfection；　some；　with　a　correction　of　its

vices；　others；　with　all　its　corruptions　and　abuses。　　This　last　was

Alexander　Hamilton's　opinion；　which　others；　as　well　as　myself；　have

often　heard　him　declare；　and　that　a　correction　of　what　are　called　its

vices；　would　render　the　English　an　impracticable　government。　　This

government　they　wished　to　have　established　here；　and　only　accepted

and　held　fast；　_at　first_；　to　the　present　constitution；　as　a

stepping…stone　to　the　final　establishment　of　their　favorite　model。

This　party　therefore　always　clung　to　England　as　their　prototype；　and

great　auxiliary　in　promoting　and　effecting　this　change。　　A　weighty

MINORITY；　however；　of　these　_leaders_；　considering　the　voluntary

conversion　of　our　government　into　a　monarchy　as　too　distant；　if　not

desperate；　wish　to　break　off　from　our　Union　its　eastern　fragment；　as

being；　in　truth；　the　hot…bed　of　American　monarchism；　with　a　view　to　a

commencement　of　their　favorite　government；　from　whence　the　other

States　may　gangrene　by　degrees；　and　the　whole　be　thus　brought　finally

to　the　desired　point。　　For　Massachusetts；　the　prime　mover　in　this

enterprise；　is　the　last　State　in　the　Union　to　mean　a　_final_

separation；　as　being　of　all　the　most　dependent　on　the　others。　　Not

raising　bread　for　the　sustenance　of　her　own　inhabitants；　not　having　a

stick　of　timber　for　the　construction　of　vessels；　her　principal

occupation；　nor　an　article　to　export　in　them；　where　would　she　be；

excluded　from　the　ports　of　the　other　States；　and　thrown　into

dependence　on　England；　her　direct　and　natural；　but　now　insidious

rival？　　At　the　head　of　this　MINORITY　is　what　is　called　the　Essex

Junto　of　Massachusetts。　　But　the　MAJORITY　of　these　_leaders_　do　not

aim　at　separation。　　In　this；　they　adhere　to　the　known　principle　of

General　Hamilton；　never；　under　any　views；　to　break　the　Union。

Anglomany；　monarchy；　and　separation；　then；　are　the　principles　of　the

Essex　federalists。　　Anglomany　and　monarchy；　those　of　the

Hamiltonians；　and　Anglomany　alone；　that　of　the　portion　among　the

_people_　who　call　themselves　federalists。　　These　last　are　as　good

republicans　as　the　brethren　whom　they　oppose；　and　differ　from　them

only　in　their　devotion　to　England　and　hatred　of　France　which　they

have　imbibed　from　their　leaders。　　The　moment　that　these　leaders

should　avowedly　propose　a　separation　of　the　Union；　or　the

establishment　of　regal　government；　their　popular　adherents　would　quit

them　to　a　man；　and　join　the　republican　standard；　and　the　partisans　of

this　change；　even　in　Massachusetts；　would　thus　find　themselves　an

army　of　officers　without　a　soldier。




　　　　　　　　The　party　called　republican　is　steadily　for　the　support　of　the

present　constitution。　　They　obtained　at　its　commencement；　all　the

amendments　to　it　they　desired。　　These　reconciled　them　to　it

perfectly；　and　if　they　have　any　ulterior　view；　it　is　only；　perhaps；

to　popularize　it　further；　by　shortening　the　Senatorial　term；　and

devising　a　process　for　the　responsibility　of　judges；　more　practical

than　that　of　impeachment。　　They　esteem　the　people　of　England　and

France　equally；　and　equally　detest　the　governing　powers　of　both。




　　　　　　　　This　I　verily　believe；　after　an　intimacy　of　forty　years　with

the　public　councils　and　characters；　is　a　true　statement　of　the

grounds　on　which　they　are　at　present　divided；　and　that　it　is　not

merely　an　ambition　for　power。　　An　honest　man　can　feel　no　pleasure　in

the　exercise　of　power　over　his　fellow　citizens。　　And　considering　as

the　only　offices　of　power　those　conferred　by　the　people　directly；

that　is　to　say；　the　executive　and　legislative　functions　of　the

General　and　State　governments；　the　common　refusal　of　these　and

multiplied　resignations；　are　proofs　sufficient　that　power　is　not

alluring　to　pure　minds；　and　is　not；　with　them；　the　primary　principle

of　contest。　　This　is　my　belief　of　it；　it　is　that　on　which　I　have

acted；　and　had　it　been　a　mere　contest　who　should　be　permitted　to

administer　the　government　according　to　its　genuine　republican

principles；　there　has　never　been　a　moment　of　my　life　in　which　I

should　have　relinquished　for　it　the　enjoyments　of　my　family；　my　farm；

my　friends　and　books。




　　　　　　　　You　expected　to　discover　the　difference　of　our　party　principles

in　General　Washington's　valedictory；　and　my　inaugural　address。　　Not

at　all。　　General　Washington　did　not　harbor　one　principle　of

federalism。　　He　was　neither　an　Angloman；　a　monarchist；　nor　a

separatist。　　He　sincerely　wished　the　people　to　have　as　much

self…government　as　they　were　competent　to　exercise　themselves。　　The

only　point　on　which　he　and　I　ever　differed　in　opinion；　was；　that　I

had　more　confidence　than　he　had　in　the　natural　integrity　and

discretion　of　the　people；　and　in　the　safety　and　extent　to　which　they

might　trust　themselves　with　a　control　over　their　government。　　He　has

asseverated　to　me　a　thousand　times　his　determination　that　the

existing　government　should　have　a　fair　trial；　and　that　in　support　of

it　he　would　spend　the　last　drop　of　his　blood。　　He　did　this　the　more

repeatedly；　because　he　knew　General　Hamilton's　political　bias；　and　my

apprehensions　from　it。　　It　is　a　mere　calumny；　therefore；　in　the

monarchists；　to　associate　General　Washington　with　their　principles。

But　that　may　have　happened　in　this　case　which　has　been　often　seen　in

ordinary　cases；　that；　by　oft　repeating　an　untruth；　men　come　to

believe　it　themselves。　　It　is　a　mere　artifice　in　this　party　to

bolster　themselves　up　on　the　revered　name　of　that　first　of　our

worthies。　　If　I　have　dwelt　longer　on　this　subject　than　was　necessary；

it　proves　the　estimation　in　which　I　hold　your　ultimate　opinions；　and

my　desire　of　placing　the　subject　truly　before　them。　　In　so　doing；　I

am　certain　I　risk　no　use　of　the　communication　which　may　draw　me　into

contention　before　the　public。　　Tranquillity　is　the　_summum　bonum_　of

a　Septagenaire。




　　　　　　　　To　return　to　the　merits　of　your　work：　I　consider　it　as　so

lively　a　picture　of　the　real　state　of　our　country；　that　if　I　can

possibly　obtain　opportunities　of　conveyance；　I　propose　to　send　a　copy

to　a　friend　in　France；　and　another　to　one　in　Italy；　who；　I　know；　will

translate　and　circulate　it　as　an　antidote　to　the　misrepresentations

of　former　travellers。　　But　whatever　effect　my　profession　of　political

faith　may　have　on　your　general　opinion；　a　part　of　my　object　will　be

obtained；　if　it　satisfies　you　as　to　the　principles　of　my　own　action；

and　of　the　high　respect　and　consideration　with　which　I　tender　you　my

salutations。







　　　　　　　　TYRANTS　OF　LAND　AND　SEA




　　　　　　　　_To　Madame　de　Stael_

　　　　　　　　_United　States　of　America；　May　24；　1813_




　　　　　　　　I　received　with　great　pleasure；　my　dear　Madam　and　friend；　your

letter　of　November　the　10th；　from　Stockholm；　and　am　sincerely

gratified　by　the　occasion　it　gives　me　of　expressing　to　you　the

sentiments　of　high　respect　and　esteem　which　I　entertain　for　you。　　It

recalls　to　my　remembrance　a　happy　portion　of　my　life；　passed　in　your

native　city；　then　the　seat　of　the　most　amiable　and　polished　society

of　the　world；　and　of　which　yourself　and　your　venerable　father　were

such